Will Buxton gives blunt verdict on FIA's penalties for Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson at Saudi Arabian GP

IndyCar commentator Will Buxton has given a straightforward assessment of the penalties imposed by the FIA on Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Sunday. The FIA handed the two drivers time penalties for cutting a corner and gaining an advantage. However, punishment for the same offense wasn't the same.

Verstappen's incident took place on lap 1. The Red Bull driver was on pole, but McLaren's Oscar Piastri in P2 got a better start, leading the pack into Turn 1. However, the Dutchman was unrelenting and attempted to regain the lead in Turn 1, but couldn't make the corner and drove straight through it. He felt Piastri forced him off and didn't swap positions. Consequently, the stewards gave him a 5-second penalty.

Liam Lawson's situation was considerably different. He overtook Alpine's Jack Doohan midway on the main straight. However, when the VCARB driver eventually reached Turn 1, miles clear of Doohan's A524, he carried too much speed into the corner, and all four wheels of his car went over the white line momentarily. Surprisingly, the FIA handed Lawson a 10-second penalty for going off the track while overtaking, despite the overtaking move being complete nearly two seconds ago.

Will Buxton, who left F1's digital team to become a play-by-play commentator for IndyCar this year, commented on both instances in an X post.

"Intriguing penalties in yesterday’s F1 race. Verstappen one a slam dunk to my mind. Zero wiggle room on that. But the Lawson one I cannot get my head around. The move for position was done and long since completed on the straight. Very odd," the veteran presenter wrote.

The FIA's reason for giving Verstappen a 5-second penalty instead of a 10-second one was that the incident was on the opening lap, where crashes and incidents are judged less strictly. After the penalties, Verstappen finished runner-up to Piastri, while Lawson finished down in P12.

Will Buxton names the perfect F1 team for Max Verstappen after potential Red Bull exit

Will Buxton interviews Max Verstappen at the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi - Source: Getty

Rumors of Max Verstappen considering a Red Bull exit began doing the rounds after the team's subpar performance at the Bahrain GP over a week ago. Amid the speculations, Autosport posted on X, asking which of the following teams the four-time champion would find his next home - Mercedes, McLaren, or Aston Martin.

Will Buxton chose Aston Martin and backed it with a crystal clear reasoning - Verstappen has won four championships with Red Bull, which used Honda engines and whose cars were designed by Adrian Newey. 2026 onwards, AMR would possess both those factors.

"Only one team can give Max the two things he loves the most in an F1 car - a Honda engine and an Adrian Newey design. IF he goes anywhere (and it’s still a big if) I’ve maintained for a while Aston Martin is the only team that makes sense," Buxton wrote.

Since becoming an IndyCar commentator, Will Buxton has also shouldered the responsibilities of attracting more F1 fans to the American open-wheel series via short videos explaining IndyCar to the global audience.